I woke up Monday morning and just knew I needed to take a pregnancy test. Before my husband woke up I Got Dressed (Midwest) and drove to Walmart where they sell 0.88 cent pregnancy tests. I called a personal day into work and immediately (secretively) took a test when I got home. I saw a second line appearing! I paced from room to room making sure the lighting wasn’t playing tricks on my eyes. After so many negative pregnancy tests I couldn’t believe this one was positive. Needing a darker line for my own satisfaction, I hid the test from my husband. Throughout the day I would go upstairs and just look at the positive pregnancy test. I would get all giddy, do my happy dance, collect myself and head back downstairs. That evening I took another pregnancy test and the line was a little bit darker. There were several times I just wanted to grab the test and run to him screaming. We had been trying for so long at this point I didn’t know if I should still come up with a creative way to surprise him or just tell him right away? I talked myself out of it each time and put the tests back in their hiding place. The next morning, Tuesday, Oct 15th, I took the last 0.88 cent pregnancy test. It again had the second line. I knew it was time to tell my husband. He had a supplement store package scheduled to arrive that day in the mail. I decided I would secretly open the box and switch out the supplements with the pregnancy test. However, to make it as obvious as possible I wanted the test to clearly say we were expecting. I drove to Walmart on my way to work to pick up a digital pregnancy test. I wanted one that would display the word “Pregnant” on the screen but all they had was a “YES+.” I figured that would work just as well and took the test once I arrived to work. “YES+” popped up on the screen and I knew my plan to surprise him was a GO.
Next on the list was to tell our parents. I see my mom all the time so I knew getting to her would be easy. In fact, I had been planning an early birthday celebration at her place so I could take some photos for my blog post “That’s A Wrap.” I called mom and told her I would like to have the photos taken that weekend. We arrived to her house that Saturday evening. I took photos with my husband and with my cake. Next I wanted a photo with my mom. I told my husband I was going to tell her then so he would have his camera skills ready. While my husband shot some portraits I whispered “I’m pregnant” in her ear. Mind you my mom had just found out that we had been trying for a year. I posted a blog about two months prior exposing our secret, she was one of my readers. She didn’t believe me at first. She just kept repeating “No you’re not” over and over. All I kept thinking was “Mom, seriously why would I joke about this?” Then it finally clicked and, well…
Telling my mom made my husband anxious to tell his parents. We started stressing how we were going to plan a visit without making it obvious something was up. My husband’s parents live about 45 minutes from our house so we do not just stop by often. In fact, we have “Just Stopped By” twice since we have been together. The first time we did we left his mom disappointed. She thought we stopped by to announce that we were engaged. Instead we stopped by to drop off a wreath. The second time we just stopped by we again left his mom disappointed. That time she thought we were coming to announce a pregnancy, but really we were just bored and thought we would drive to see them. Meeting up with them needed to seem like “Their idea.” Well God must have known we needed some assistance because that weekend his mom texted me that some Shutterfly coupons came to their house addressed to me? I acted like I really wanted the coupons so we should meet up asap. His parent’s invited us over for dinner so I could get the coupons. My husband had wanted to do a T-shirt reveal for the longest time so we ordered shirts in the mail. My shirt came in time but his shirt (that was supposed to ship Prime) did not. I was so disappointed but he was optimistic that my shirt would be just fine. I took the jacket off after dinner and my husband pulled out his phone to film. He had to keep ending the film and restarting it because his parents were not noticing my shirt. I tried to whisper to him that I was too short and the table was covering up the lower half of my shirt (the important part). I tried to sit up on my knee to expose the shirt better but it didn’t help. Finally we just looked at each other and I turned to his parents with my shirt stretched out. They were so excited and right away his mom wanted to tell his sister. We were looking forward to doing a reveal to her in person ourselves, but they live and hour and a half away so we do not see them often. His mom planned a dinner for a couple of weeks later so we could tell them and she could be there.
Telling my brother was probably the most anticlimactic announcement we had, but he is a very chill guy so I expected nothing less. He was at my mom’s house the day I stopped by. I decided to tell him because I never know when I am going to see him next. He lives in the area but I feel like he is the ghost child. The only thing that keeps me updated is his SnapChat. He was happy about the news. I think he was pleased/shocked that I told him the news before I told our sisters. Since then he has mentioned several times that he is excited we are having a baby.
The way we shared the news with my sisters was actually my mom’s idea. She had already bought some baby clothes once she found out we were expecting. She switched into “Grandma Mode” quick! She asked if she could wrap them up as my birthday gift and I would open it in front of my sisters. My actual birthday falls on Oct 30th. Every year on Halloween we go to a family member’s house for the trick or treating. My mom brought my wrapped gift and I opened it as planned. At first they did not believe it. Again they had just recently found out we had been trying for so long. They too read my blog. In fact, the gift they got me for my birthday was an oil, Progessence Plus Serum, that two of my sister’s friends had used to get pregnant. When I found out my sisters had split the cost to buy me this oil I felt so bad. Of course, they did not care at all. They were too excited about the news. My littlest sister downloaded “The Bump” app on her own phone and now texts me every Saturday with the latest fruit the baby relates too.
We only had one more person to tell and that was scheduled for Nov 9th. It was the night my mother-in-law had set up to see his sister and her family. My birthday had just passed and our brother-in-law’s birthday was coming up quick so she used that as a reason to get together. Talk about a turn of events! I do some photography on the side so my sister-in-law had asked if I could bring my camera that weekend to take photos for a Christmas card. As we were planning the outfits she told me she would be making an outfit change but I was sworn to secrecy. She sent me a picture announcing baby number two for them. So here we are planning to announce our pregnancy to them this weekend and here they just found out they were pregnant and planned to use the weekend for their special announcement too. Now most people would probably stress over this double announcement, but remember we already told my husband’s parents we were expecting. In fact, his mom told him that my birthday gift was pregnancy related so she thought we could announce to his sister the same way we announced to my sisters. I wanted so badly to text my sister-in-law back that we were expecting too, but I knew my husband would want to be there and so would his parents. Instead I sent her a congratulations message. The day of our get together my sister-in-law had her son, our nephew, wear a shirt announcing his promotion to big brother. As soon as my mother-in-law recognized the shirt she squealed and looked at Rob and I. She didn’t say anything but we knew she was in shock. Two babies within weeks of each other! Once inside, I opened my gift from my in-laws. I announced they gave me Belly Butter and my sister-in-law did not miss a beat! She looked right at me, eyes huge, asking if I was pregnant too. She jumped and cheered and hugs went around.
